NEWS

Games committee ropes in players to counter carbon footprint in 2010

Source: Indian Express, New Delhi, Date: September , 2009

Delhi will be producing 100,000 tonnes of greenhouse gases during next year’s Commonwealth Games scheduled from October 3 to 14. The Organising Committee has now hired NGO Nature First to plan a series of steps to offset this and make Games carbon-neutral. The Organising Committee will soon sign a Memorandum of Understanding with the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) for further work on the project. UNEP had been closely involved in the preparation for the Beijing Olympics and had prepared a detailed report on the pros and cons of the Beijing model. China had invested US $ 17 billion on environmental projects alone. Another major concern is the amount of waste that would be generated during the Games. “We are at present still calculating the estimated amount of pet bottles and paper waste that will be generated during Games,” Samir Menon of Nature First said. Delhi at present does not have a facility for pet-bottle recycling and the New Delhi Municipal Council is in talks with other states, including Haryana, for a tie-up to recycle pet bottles. For paper recycling, all Games venues will have a tie-up with the school located closest to them that has a paper-recycling facility available. The first step, meanwhile, is essentially reducing energy consumption. “We are encouraging practices such as all electronic equipment like computers and air-conditioners are certified to cut down on energy consumption. We will also hold green sensitisation workshops with different stakeholders, including members of the Organising Committee to inculcate basic practices like switching off lights and ACs when not needed,” Menon said. CFL bulbs will be used at Games sites.